Door releasing and locking mechanism



Aug. 19, 1924.

F. E. MILLER DOOR RELEASING AND LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 12, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. E. MILLER DOOR RELEASING AND LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Dec 12, 1923 2 Shgets-Sheet 2 f v 7 I I I, l

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7 9 L] Q I I IT a 51105511211 E'OVIWQQ N j If? 4O LI Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

g 7 1 505, 59: r UNITED STATES, A TE NT OFFICE;

FRANK E. MILLER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNCR T0 rREssEn'sTEEL OAR COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, -PENNSYLVANIA,'A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

noon RELEASINGAND LOCKING MECHANISM.

Application filed Decein be'r 12,1923. senai no eons e.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1', FR .iNK citizen of the United States, residing n Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Releasing and Looking Mechanism, of which the following is a specification; g

This invention relates to railwaydump' cars and has for an object the, provisioncof means for operating a plurality of. discharge door supporting members and for locking such members in their supporting positions with thedoor when the door isclo'sed. f

vide a dump car with novel means forlocking a plurality of discharge doorsupporting members in supporting position With a discharge door of the car when the door is closed. J

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for operating a plurality of discharge door supporting and releasing members, which -mechanism comprises a plurality of links operativelyconnected with said members and with [each other, such links embodying means adapted to cooperate to lock said members in their door supporting positions.

reference characters refer to like parts, Fig. 1 is a plan View of a portion of a railway dump car embodying the invention; F i 2 is aside elevational view of the same; Fig. 3 ;is an enlarged side elevational'view of the same, showing the mechanism in its door releasing position; and Fig. 1 is an en,- larged sectional view of-Fig. 2.v I

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference. character 1 indicates the. side wall of a railway car, and 2 indicates the discharge doors which are preferably hinged to or adjacent the center sill 3.:and' having their free edges adjacent the side wall'l; Each of the doors 2-mayflbe made of-wood or metal and constructedinia-nypreferred manner. Each of thesejdoors is, provided with "strengthening members-grie each :lofl' which is preferably, Uj-shapeiiginfiross' sec-. tionfor the greater part;;oi:';-itsf lugthand; having a horizontal flange iti.- hich-3 isse-,

cured to the door. Theseonembers extend outwardlybeyond the free edgepof thedoor J and preferably beyond theside wall 2fa'nd Referring to the drawings inrwhich like taken on th'elinet-ti provided with a pro ection it on which the j I a-re adapted'to be engaged by members 6 E. MILLER, a.

to support the door in closed position. The outerend portion of these members t in.- steadof being U-shaped in cross. section are provided with topportions 7 thus forming sockets for the. reception of a bar. or other suitable door closing means; j

The members 6 are spaced apart and adjacent their upperends are pivotally connected with bracket members 8 which are secured to theside wall 1. Each of the members 6 adjacentits lowerend. is provided with a ledge 9 the upper surface of which is I adapted 'toi'engage. with the lower surface Another object ofthe, inventionis to proof the outerend portion of one of the members at and when in such position will support the-door in closed position. The pivot pointsof the members 6 areso-locatedthat these members will, after they have been moved out of engagement with the members 4, move, by gravity to theirproper door supporting positions. There are preferablytwo members 6 for. each discharge door, which members are spaced apart and when operatedpreferably move in opposite directions. Between. these members a stationary mem: ber lOis preferably provided which. is see; cured to the side wall land is provided with I a .T-shaped projection 11, on which a member '12 ,is slidablymounted. This .member 12 is provided with a T-shapedopening 13 which is adapted to receive the projection ll and when the members are in their opera;

tive positions it willbe noted that they will be so interlocked that they will not become accidentally separated and yetofree movement {of the member 12 'relativeto the member 10 will be permitted. The member 12 is adjacentinner end portions of links 15 [and 3 16 are loosely mounted, theouter end :por-Q tlOItfOf each link being loosely connected with one of the members 6. The member 12 is also provided withstop shoulders17 which 1 are adapted to engage withstop shoulders 18 formed on the; member. 10 to prevent :the I member; 12 from moving downwardly ,;an excessive distance. Y o

' Thelink 16 between its ends is provided with a downwardly projecting portion 19 on which a locking cam 20is pivotally mounted, which cam is adapted to engage a. pro

jection 21 on the link 15 to lock the members-6 in their doorsupporting'positions. Below the cam 20 the portion 19 of the link 16 is preferably "provided with an outwardly extending'portion 22 which forms a striking block which may be struck with a sledge or other suitabletool to open the door.

Assuming the door to be in closed position and the members 6 locked in their door supporting positions, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, and it is desired to open the door, the operator moves the cam out ofengagement with the projection 21 and then strikes the portion 22 of thelink 16 an upward blow with a sledge or other suitable tool which causes the links 15 and 16 and member 12to move upwardly which causes the members 6 to move out of their door supporting positions, as shown in Fi 3 of the drawings and thus permits the 001' to drop. As soon as the door has been released the members 6 will moveautomatically into their door supporting positions, the links-15 and 16' also moving automatically with the members to their proper operative positions as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

"When it is desired to close the door the operator inserts a bar or other suitable device in the end portion of one of the strengthening members 4 and by the use of such bar raises the door until the tops 7 of the members engage the bevelled surfaces 23 with which the lower portions of the mem bers 6 are provided and as the pivots betweenthe members 6 and 15, 16 are below thepivot between the members 6 and 12 a continued-upward movement of the door will cause the members 6 to move toward.

each other and out of the path of travel of the ends ofthe members until such time as the-door is closed at which time the members 6 will move by gravity to their door supporting positions as illustrated in Fig. 1

after which the operator moves the cam 20' from its inoperative position as illustrated .in Fig. 3'to its operative position in engagement with theprojection 21 on the link 15 thus locking-themembers 6 in their door supportingpositions. Itwill be noted that as the member12 and inner ends of-the links 15 and 16-are moved upwardly the distance betweenthe pivotal point of the cam 20 and i the face'of the projection 21 becomes less,

thus-when the cam 20 is in engagement with the projection 21 any tendency of the links 1'5 and 16 to move upwardly, will be resisted by the cam andprojection.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains that changes in the form and arrangement of the several parts forming the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope-of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what I- claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is F I i 1. In a dump'car, a discharge door, a plurality ofmembers movable into and out of supporting positions.

supporting positions with said door, links for operating saidmembers, and locking means carried by said links for locking said members in their supportingpositions with said door.- 2. In a dump car, a discharge door, members movable into and out of supporting positions with said door, links connected with saidmembers, andmembers carried by said links adapted to cooperate to lock said members in their supporting positions with said door.- I

3. In a dump car, a dischargedoor, mem-' bers movable into and out of supporting po-' sitions'with said door, links connected with said members, and means loosely mounted on one of said links adapted to engage the other of said links to lock said members in their supporting positions with'said door.

4. In a dump car, a discharge door, members movable into and out of supporting positions with said door, means for operating said members, and cam. means on the first mentioned means for locking said members in their supporting positions with said door. I 5. In a dump car, a'discharge door, members movable into and out of supporting positions with said door, links connected with said members for operating said members and cam means carried by said links for ocking said members.

6. In a dump car, a discharge door,members movable into and out of supporting positions with said door, links pivotally connected with said members and with each other, and cam means below the pivotal connection between said links adapted to lock said members.

7. In a dump car, a discharge door, members movable into and out of supporting positions with said door, a plurality of con-- nected links for operating said members, locking members carried by said links adapted to cooperate to lock said members in their door supporting positions. a

8. In a dump car, a discharge door,'members movable into and out of supporting positions with said door, a verticallymovable member between said members, connections from said members tosaid vertically -movable member, and means on said connectionsadapted to lock said members in their supporting positions with said door.

9. In a dump car, .a discharge door, a plurality of members movable into and out of supporting p-ositionswith said door, links plvotally connected with said members, joints between said links and members, a locking member: on each of said links below said joints, said members being adapted to cooperate to lock said members in their door 10. In a dump car, a discharge door, members movable into and out of supporting positions wlth sald door, a connection from one of said members to the other for operating said members, said connection being jointed between said members, and locking bers adapted to lock said members in their supporting positions with said door,

11. In a dump car, a discharge door,mem,

bers pivotally mounted on said car adapted to be moved'into and out of supporting positions with said door, a jointed connection extending between said members for operating said members, and cam means forlockin'g said members in their supporting positions with said door, said cam means extending in the direction of the joint in said connection.

12. In a dump car, a discharge door, members movable into and out of supporting positions with said door, links connected with said members and with each other for operating said members, and means on said links located below the connection between said links adapted to cooperate to lock said members in their supporting positions with said door.

13. In a dump car, a discharge door, door supporting and releasing members pivotally mounted on said car, a stationary guide member on said car between said door supporting and releasing members, a slidable member on said stationary member, links connecting said door supporting and releasing'members and said slidable member, and means on said members adapted to cooperate to lock said door supporting and releasing members in their door supporting positions. I

I 14. In a dump car, a discharge door,mem 3 bers movableintoand out of supporting poi sitions'with said (1001', links connecting said members below the oint between sald memmembers, said links being loosely connected together at their adjacent ends, a downlinks, an outwardly extending projection on I the other of said links, and a member pivot ally mounted {on said downwardly depending portion adapted to engage said projection to lock said members in their supporting positions withsaid door.

15. In a dump car, a discharge door, members movable into and out of supporting positions with said door and meansfor operat- I positions with said door,means for operatmg' sa d members, said means having a oint I 46 wardlydependingporti'on on one of saidlocatedbetween said members and means on 7 said operating means adapted to cooperate below said joint to lock said members in I their supporting positions with said door.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. MILLER. WVitnesses:

'COLMAN F. ZAITZ,

KATHLEEN KLEBER. 

